The Broker and the Security Team
Thwack! It wasn't three steps and a bow, it was three steps and a thwack. Every three steps, a full swing. Every time, a zombie's head exploded. The struck zombie would collapse like a pile of trash. Squelch! In contrast, Arjun’s side was a bit cleaner. He’d just swung his arm once, and a head went flying. I’d heard human neck bones were quite sturdy. He just sliced right through them like that? Did he sharpen the blade further? It shouldn't have been that sharp of a knife, should it?
Anyway, we walked into the Suwon facility without hesitation, killing every zombie in sight. By now, they had to be able to see us from inside the facility. They must be dumbfounded. A duo in gas masks, walking through a horde of zombies like it was nothing, slaughtering them all as they went. We kept heading toward the Suwon facility, passing by stalled trucks and overturned ones. All the while, I kept a look of confusion on my face. After all, I was just a guy who didn't know what had happened here. We kept walking until we finally entered the grounds of the Suwon facility. I took off my gas mask. Arjun glanced at me, then took his off as well. We kept walking deeper inside, and I shouted at the top of my lungs, "Is anyone in there!"
It was such a massive place that I wondered if shouting like this even meant anything, but I knew for a fact these guys were watching us. So they had to hear my voice. I’d shouted loud enough, after all. Still, I pretended not to know, kept looking around, and yelled again, "Is anyone in there! Is there nobody here!?"
I was playing the part of someone who didn't know who was inside. I was just a guy who’d been wandering around, saw a bunch of zombies gathered, and came to see if there was anything worth finding. That went for Arjun as well as the people inside. So we kept pretending to be ignorant, scanning the surroundings.
"People. None."
"Right? I saw all these zombies gathered and thought there might be something here. Guess not. Then why were those zombies gathered like that?"
"Don't know."
"Yeah. Me neither. Let's keep looking, then."
We deliberately headed in a different direction. I’d already seen where the people were hiding when I scouted with the drone, so I made sure not to go that way.
"There."
But Arjun pointed to one side and spoke. It was the direction where I’d seen the people earlier. Is it because he’s Nepalese? His eyesight must be good. No, wait, was that a Mongolian thing?
"Why? Is there something?"
"People."
"Really? Where?"
I could spot them immediately, too. But I pretended not to and asked again. "Where? I don't see anything."
"There. That way."
Only when Arjun pointed properly did I look that way and shout out loud, "Hey, you there! Let's talk for a second!"
Only then did they seem to realize they’d been spotted, and they stood up. Their figures disappeared, and a moment later, three people emerged from a building. Were they the same guys who were shoveling snow earlier? Seemed like it. Anyway, they each approached us carrying a rifle. No, where the hell did they get those? Did they get them from a nearby military base or something? But even with rifles pointed at us, I wasn't afraid. I didn't feel any sense of crisis or anxiety. It was probably because I was certain. I knew for a fact that those guys couldn't do anything to me.
"Who are you people?"
"No, that's what I should be asking first. What the hell is this place? Why are there so many zombies swarming here?"
"We don't know that either! But how the hell did you guys walk through the zombies like that!? What kind of people are you!?"
The guys shouting at us still had their rifles aimed at us. It’s fascinating. If they just pulled those triggers, I’d be dead right there. If they gave up on their curiosity and decided to just shoot, my life would be over. If they didn't shoot and instead captured and imprisoned us, that would be quite dangerous, too. But still, I felt absolutely no sense of crisis. Because I knew we were the ones in control. That’s why I could be so confident and shameless. This is why information is so important. Nothing protects me as well as the information in my head.
"You guys are funny. You won't tell us anything, but you want us to tell you? You guys don't know the basics of negotiation."
At my words, they glared at me. Funny guys. Did they think I'd be intimidated just because they aimed rifles at me? Even if most adult men in this country know how to fire a rifle, actually shooting it at a person is a completely different matter. Have these guys even killed anyone before? Do they even know what it feels like to kill someone right in front of them?
"Sorry about that. But we really don't know! A few days ago, morning came and suddenly the zombies were swarming like this! How can we answer when we don't know anything?"
What is this? They're answering surprisingly easily. Are they not planning on using their heads at all?
"I'm a broker who travels around exchanging daily necessities and unique items. I came here because I was curious why so many zombies were gathered. But if you don't know the cause, I guess it can't be helped. Ah. Is there anything you want to trade? I could get you whatever you need. Though, there has to be a price for it."
"No. Fuck. Can't you see the guns pointed at you..."
As I said that, the guy next to the one I was talking to muttered that. At those words, the guy I was talking to and the other one flinched, and the guy who cursed at me tilted his chin up with a "What did I do?" expression.
"What did you say?"
"Are you deaf? Can't you see the gun barrels pointed at you right now?"
I’d clearly given him a chance, but he was pushing his luck one more time. Ha. What a funny bastard. There’s always one guy full of bravado even here. So I walked toward him and said,
"Hey. Go ahead, shoot."
He reflexively shoved the muzzle forward, and I leaned my head right into it and kept talking. "Go ahead and shoot, you little shit. What, because you're holding a gun, the world looks like a joke to you? Can you actually shoot me with that? Can you take responsibility for what you've done?"
At my words, he glared at me, pretending not to be flustered. But it was clumsy. Whatever this bastard did before the world ended, he was nothing more than a street thug. A guy with no guts. A shallow, worthless piece of trash. If this guy were a normal person, he wouldn't have spoken like that in the first place. You can tell a person's entire life by a single sentence, just like this.
"You pathetic bastard. All talk, can't even pull the trigger. Forget it. I'm not trading with you guys. I'll find out why the zombies gathered here myself. Good luck."
I turned my body. Then, I heard his hysterical shout from behind. "Stop! You fucking asshole!"
And at that moment, I made eye contact with Arjun. I gave a small nod, and no one saw Arjun move.
"Hk."
As I turned, Arjun already had his knife pressed against the throat of the guy who had been aiming his gun at me. Ah. Fuck. That’s so cool. So that’s what a Gurkha mercenary is, huh? The guy with the knife at his throat was visibly panicked. He must have seen the whole movement from a moment ago. So these three must be thinking the same thing: Can we really aim and shoot at this man? Wouldn't we be the ones to get hit first?
"Listen here."
I spoke not to the guy who aimed at me, but to the one I was talking to earlier.
"...I'm listening, so speak."
"I need to be compensated for this rudeness. If you don't like that, you'll have to kill both of us right now. And you'll have to deal with whatever happens afterward all on your own."
At my words, he twitched his cheek. Then, as if he had no choice, he said to me,
"I apologize for the rudeness committed by my companion. It is my fault for not managing them properly."
Then he turned to the guy Arjun had his knife on and grabbed his gun.
"Hyung-nim, why..."
He snatched the gun away and kicked him hard in the chest. The guy rolled across the ground. "Take him inside. Lock him in the punishment room for now." He said that while handing the gun to the other guy next to him. The guy who had his gun taken away said something with an aggrieved expression, but he was led inside by the other guy.
What is this? They handle things more cleanly than I thought. That means this place has a well-established discipline. No tattoos. Long hair. Not gangsters? Then are they soldiers? But can soldiers really have this kind of discipline? Does rank from their military days even mean anything in a world like this? Besides, he called him 'Hyung-nim.' He looks a bit old to be a soldier, too. And what's with the 'punishment room'? They have something like that? They’re interesting guys. I’m starting to get curious about what kind of people they are.
"No, if you do this, I have nothing to say. Good. Your handling of the situation is solid, so let's just let it slide. There's no benefit to us both getting angry. Still, I have to be compensated for the rudeness. So, answer one question for me."
"Go ahead."
"Who are you people? What do you do?"
At my question, he looked at me for a moment. He was probably weighing whether my question was a fair compensation for the rudeness. And since he seemed to think it was fair enough, he answered honestly.
"We are SY1, the security firm for the Samyang Electronics Suwon facility. I am Go Jeong-gyu, the team leader of the access control team."
Ah. Hearing that, everything made sense. A security firm. Yeah. Then that makes sense. "Ah. I see. Then there was a reason you were here. Good. Thank you for the answer. So let's forget about what happened earlier. Don't be too hard on that friend from before. He just seems to have a lot of youthful vigor."
"I can't just overlook a mistake just because he has a lot of vigor."
"Well, that's for you to decide, so I won't say anything more. Anyway, you really don't know why the zombies are gathered here?"
"No. I don't."
"Hmm. That's strange. I've never seen anything like this before."
As I muttered that, the team leader looked at me, cleared his throat, and said,
"Then, can I ask you a question this time?"
"Go ahead, Team Leader."
"What do I have to trade to learn how you walked through those zombies like it was nothing?"